His body remained motionless, yet she could tell something of significance was going on inside him.

“Do you mind taking me to his chalet?”

“No, no. Of course not,” he hastened to assure her, but his thoughts had been far away. After a moment he started the car and they were off.

She sat nervously in the seat, frightened to see that, so far, Sophie’s plan was going exactly as she’d outlined.

He drove to the outskirts of the world-famous Swiss village. From there the road wound up into a flowering hillside where she spied a small, charming brown and white chalet with an outside staircase that led to the top story. There were two other cars in the parking area.

Before Philippe could come around to assist her, a man had emerged from the back entrance of the house. Lee would have known the Prince anywhere.

From the time she’d first arrived at boarding school in Nyon she’d seen his picture in the newspapers and magazines. It was no secret that she, along with the other boarders, had pretty well worshipped him the way many teens idolized a famous film or rock star.

After she’d become friends with Sophie, and found out she was betrothed to him, Lee had gone through a period of coveting Sophie’s future intended. But that destructive emotion had ended when Lee met Todd and fell in love.

They would be married right now except for the tragedy that had shattered her life and made her view the world through different eyes.

Having lost everyone close to her, Lee took Sophie’s love affair with Luciano seriously. The two were so besotted it seemed criminal that an accident of birth was forcing Sophie to marry a man for whom she had no feelings. Lee had determined to help them in any way she could.

But talking about Prince Raoul in the abstract was one thing. Meeting him in person for the first time was an entirely different matter.

Beneath the natural gold highlights of his dark blond hair blazed a pair of eyes so hot a blue they rivaled flame. Lines of character and intelligence were carved in a rugged face tanned to mahogany by the elements. He stood at least six feet two inches of lean muscle.